IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL: EU LAUNCHES DISPUTE MECHANISMBritain, France and Germany ratcheted up pressure on Iran on Tuesday tocease its violations of a landmark nuclear deal, stressing that they want toresolve differences through talks while starting the clock on a process thatcould result in a so-called "snapback" of United Nations sanctions.The three countries, which signed the international agreement in 2015 alongwith the U.S., Russia and China, said in a letter to the European Union'sforeign policy chief that they had no choice but to trigger the deal's"dispute mechanism," given Iran's ongoing transgressions.The three said they rejected Tehran's argument that Iran was justified inviolating the deal because the U.S. broke the agreement by pulling outunilaterally in 2018."We have therefore been left with no choice, given Iran's actions, but toregister today our concerns that Iran is not meeting its commitments," thecountries said in a joint statement.EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who coordinates the agreement, saidthe pressure on Iran from Europe does not mean sanctions will automaticallybe slapped on the Islamic Republic.The Europeans stressed that they want to "resolve the impasse throughconstructive diplomatic dialogue" and made no threat of sanctions in theirstatement."Our three countries are not joining a campaign to implement maximumpressure against Iran," they said. "Our hope is to bring Iran back into fullcompliance with its commitments."Under its dispute resolution mechanism, countries have 30 days to resolvetheir problem, though that can be extended. If it cannot be solved, thematter could be brought before the U.N. Security Council and could thenresult in the snapback of sanctions that had been lifted under the deal.Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed the "completelypassive action" of the three countries and said Iran would support any actof "goodwill and constructive effort" to save the deal.IRAQ'S SADR CALLS FOR ANTI-US PROTESTS AMID NEW ROCKET ATTACKFirebrand Iraqi leader Moqtada Sadr called on Tuesday for a peaceful"million-strong march" against US troops in Iraq, days after parliamenturged their departure following Washington's killing of an Iranian generalin a drone strike.Further upping the pressure on the American deployment, Katyusha rockets onTuesday night targeted an Iraqi airbase north of Baghdad where US-ledcoalition forces are based, in the latest attack on American forces in thecountry."The skies, land and sovereignty of Iraq are being violated every day byoccupying forces," Mr. Sadr, a populist Shia politician and cleric, wrote onTwitter.He urged Iraqis to hold "a million-strong, peaceful, unified demonstrationto condemn the American presence and its violations", without giving a date.Bases where US forces are stationed have been under a steady stream ofrocket attacks for several months that have killed one American contractorand one Iraqi soldier.On Tuesday, a new rocket attack targeted the Camp Taji airbase north ofBaghdad, the Iraqi military said, without specifying how many rockets hitthe base.IRAN MAKES FIRST ARRESTS IN UKRAINIAN PLANE DOWNINGIran announced on Tuesday its first arrests over the shooting down of aUkrainian airliner last week, as it struggles to contain the fallout fromthe disaster that sparked three days of protests.The Ukraine International Airlines plane was brought down by a missileshortly after takeoff on Wednesday, killing all 176 passengers and crewon-board. Iran has come under mounting international pressure to ensure itsinvestigation into the tragedy is full and transparent. The authorities'handling of the air disaster has also angered some Iranians.At a televised news conference, the judiciary announced the first arrestshad been made over the calamitous blunder, without specifying how many."Extensive investigations have been carried out and some people have beenarrested," said spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili.The announcement came shortly after President Hassan Rouhani said everyoneresponsible for the disaster must be punished."For our people, it is very important in this incident that anyone who wasat fault or negligent at any level face justice," Rouhani said. "Anyone whoshould be punished must be punished. The judiciary must form a special courtwith a high-ranking judge and dozens of experts... The whole world will bewatching," Rouhani said. Canada's Transportation Safety Board said itsinvestigators flying to Tehran would be granted access to the wreckage andblack box the downed airliner.CHINA STANDS BY SRI LANKA: WANG YIVisiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has pledged not to allow "anyoutside influences" to interfere with Sri Lanka's internal matters,President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office said on Tuesday."As Sri Lanka's strategic partner China will continue to standby Sri Lanka'sinterests. China stands for the country's sovereignty, territorial integrityand independence. We will not allow any outside influences to interfere withmatters that are essentially internal concerns of Sri Lanka," Mr. Wangpledged, according to a press statement issued by Mr. Rajapaksa's mediadivision. The meeting marks Beijing's first high-level engagement with thenew government in Sri Lanka.Debt concernsThe visit bears significance in the wake of prevalent concern over Colombo'soutstanding debt to China over several largescale infrastructure projects,including the port in the southern town of Hambantota, for which China holdsa 99-year lease.Commenting on the apparent concern, including from India, on Chineseinvolvement in the region, Mr. Rajapaksa told foreign media last month thatcountries such as India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN countriescould invest in Sri Lanka. "That is how you can counter, just complainingwon't do," Mr. Rajapaksa had said.President Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit Beijing next month, following hisfirst state visit abroad to India late November.Mr. Wang, according to President Rajapaksa's office, assured him saying:"Sri Lanka may have less landmass, but will soon be strong economically.China will be with Sri Lanka in its striving to reach this goal".JUD CHIEF HAFIZ SAEED PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN TERROR FINANCING CASES: COURTOFFICIALMumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on Tuesday pleaded "not guilty" in twoterror financing cases against him as the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chieffinally recorded his statement in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court here.The Counter Terrorism Department had registered 23 FIRs against Saeed andhis accomplices on the charges of terror financing in different cities ofPunjab province and arrested him on July 17. He is held at the Kot Lakhpatjail in Lahore.Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for theLashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbaiattack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.At a hearing on January 10, a questionnaire was handed over to Saeed by aPakistani anti-terrorism court."In response to a questionnaire handed over to him by the Anti-TerrorismCourt (ATC) Lahore regarding terrror financing charges against him, Saeed onTuesday submitted his reply in which he dismissed all charges against him.He pleaded not guilty," a court official told PTI after the in-camerahearing.The official said the ATC adjourned the hearing till Wednesday for finalarguments.CHINA NEEDS TO SHOW TAIWAN RESPECT, SAYS PRESIDENTTaiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has told the BBC that China needs to "facereality" and show the island "respect".She was re-elected for a second term on Saturday, winning by a landslideafter a campaign in which she focused heavily on the rising threat fromBeijing.The Chinese Communist Party has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and theright to take it by force if necessary.Ms Tsai insisted that the sovereignty of the self-governing island was notin doubt or up for negotiation."We don't have a need to declare ourselves an independent state," the63-year-old president told the BBC in an exclusive interview, her firstsince the election."We are an independent country already and we call ourselves the Republic ofChina, Taiwan."SENATE TRIAL AGAINST TRUMP ON JANUARY 21The US Senate is likely to begin the impeachment trial against PresidentDonald Trump on January 21 after the House of Representatives last monthimpeached him for pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, a topRepublican Senator has said.The 435-member House of Representatives, where Democrats enjoy a majority,last month charged Trump with "high crimes and misdemeanours" and impeachedin vote that was based on bitter political divide. Now, the 100-memberSenate, where the Republicans are in majority, needs to put Trump on trialbefore he can be removed from the White House. Democratic Senator KamalaHarris, who is of Indian origin, feared that the trial in the Senate mightnot be fair.SEVERE WEATHER KILLS 130 IN PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTANAvalanches, flooding and harsh winter weather has killed more than 130people across Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent days, officials said onTuesday, as authorities struggled to reach people stranded by heavysnowfall.At least 93 people died and 76 were injured across Pakistan - with severalstill missing - while a further 39 were killed in Afghanistan, according toofficials.Forecasts suggest more harsh weather is to come.Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was the worst-hit area, with 62 people killed and10 others missing, the State Disaster Management Authority said in astatement.In the picturesque but conflict-riven Neelum Valley in PoK, heavy snowfalltriggered several avalanches, including one that killed at least 19 people."An avalanche hit their village, 10 people are still missing," the SDMAsaid.Frequent avalanches and landslides occur in PoK during the winter, oftenblocking roads and leaving communities isolated.Authorities have shuttered schools, while several highways and roads wereclosed across the country's northern mountainous areas, according toofficials.To the southeast, in Balochistan province, at least 31 people were killed inseparate weather-related incidents."Most of those who died were women and children," said Mohammad Younus, anofficial with the provincial disaster management authority, adding thathundreds remained stranded.Across the border in Afghanistan, over 300 houses were either destroyed orpartially damaged throughout the country, said Ahmad Tamim Azimi, aspokesman for the Natural Disaster Management Authority.